For Better Or Worse, EJ Manuel Will Start for Buffalo Bills Week One


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Timothy T. Ludwig – USA Today Sports

Saying that Kevin Kolb is made of glass is an insult to glass. Kolb is made out of some rare, super brittle mineral that can only be found on the outer reaches of space. In case you’re still wondering, I’m trying to say that the guy is injury prone.

Kolb left the Buffalo Bills‘ third preseason game with concussion-like symptoms, after a defender’s knee bumped the back of his helmet. This sort of injury has become routine for Kolb, and all joking aside, he should seriously consider retiring before he suffers permanent brain damage. Kolb has never been able to start a full seasons worth of games at quarterback, mostly due to his Mr. Magoo-like propensity for hurting himself. In spite of his decent arm strength and accuracy, Kolb’s value as a starting NFL quarterback is questionable at best.

Which leads me to my next point. Even if this apparent concussion turns out to be minor, and Kolb is at full health by the time the regular season starts, the Bills should start EJ Manuel at quarterback. Head coach Doug Marrone seemed to be predicting this eventuality when he refused to rule out the banged-up Manuel for the team’s season opener against the New England Patriots.

The glaring fact remains that even when Kolb has been healthy this pre-season, he has not performed. Manuel had just finished slamming the door shut on the Bills’ QB competition when he woke up last Saturday with a swollen knee, and he deserves to get the nod if he is healthy enough to play.

If the Bills go with Kolb, they will simply be biding time until the inevitable early-season injury, or until he plays himself out of the starting lineup. It may not be entirely his fault, but Kolb clearly does not have what it takes to play professional football in the NFL.

Matt Ploss is a Buffalo Bills writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewPloss, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google

 



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